Editing Arctic hare (section)

==Distribution and habitat==
The Arctic hare is distributed over the northernmost regions of [[Greenland]], the [[Canadian Arctic Archipelago|Canadian Arctic islands]] and [[Northern Canada]], including [[Ellesmere Island]], and farther south in [[Labrador]] and [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]].<ref name="ADW"/> The Arctic hare is well adapted to conditions found in the [[tundra]]s, [[plateau]]s, and treeless coasts of this region, including cold weather and frozen [[precipitation]]. The Arctic hare may be found at elevations from sea level to {{convert|900|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="ADW"/><ref>Small, R., L. Keith, R. Barta. (1991). Dispersion of introduced Arctic hares (Lepus arcticus) on islands off Newfoundland's south coast. ''Canadian Journal of Zoology'' 69(10):2618-2623.</ref>

In [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] and Southern [[Labrador]], the Arctic hare [[Camouflage#Crypsis by changing skin pattern.2C color|changes its coat color]], moulting and growing new fur, from brown or grey in the summer to white in the winter. This seasonal moulting also enables other Arctic animals, including [[Stoat|ermine]] and [[rock ptarmigan|ptarmigan]], to remain [[camouflage]]d as the environment changes.<ref name="Churchill">{{cite web | url=http://churchillpolarbears.org/churchill/arctic-wildlife | title=Arctic Wildlife | publisher=Churchill Polar Bears | year=2011 | access-date=January 30, 2012}}</ref> However, the Arctic hares in the far north of [[Canada]], where summer is very short, remain white all year round.<ref name="Churchill"/>

===Fossil record and history===
Arctic hare fossils are rare prior to the [[Holocene]] epoch, with fossils from the [[Last Glacial Period]] found in North America ([[Wisconsin glaciation]]) and Europe ([[Würm glaciation]]) and no fossils from before the Holocene found in Russia.<ref name="Waltari">{{Cite journal|url=https://web.corral.tacc.utexas.edu/UAF/arctos/2012_01_20/Waltari_and_Cook_2005_Phylogeography_and_historical_demographics_of_Lepus_arcticus_othus_and_timidus.pdf |journal=Molecular Ecology |date=2005 |volume=14 |pages=3005–3016 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-294X.2005.02625.x
|publisher=Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. |title=Hares on ice: phylogeography and historical demographics of ''Lepus arcticus'', ''L. othus'', and ''L. timidus'' (Mammalia: Lagomorpha) |first1=Eric |last1=Waltari |first2=Joseph A. |last2=Cook|issue=10 |pmid=16101770 |bibcode=2005MolEc..14.3005W }}</ref> The Arctic hare persevered in [[Refugium (population biology)|refugia]] during periods of glaciation, which led to its differentiation from the [[Alaskan hare]] (''L. othus'') in as each species was separated in different parts of North America. Evidence of the Arctic hare has been found in [[Greenland]] from 7,960 years ago, and it has colonized regions across the [[Bering Strait]] at least twice.<ref>{{Lagomorphs2018|chapter=''Lepus arcticus'' (Ross, 1819) Arctic Hare}}</ref>